Whether you have inherited jewelry, bought a piece for yourself or received one as a gift, the world of jewelry can be a little confusing. Where can you find information that you know you can trust? This article includes tips written to make you a more informed customer.
When purchasing sterling silver, take along a good magnifying glass, along with a small magnet. Take the magnet with you to find fake pieces of jewelery, sterling silver will not stick to the magnet. True sterling silver will also have a mark on it to indicate its quality, such as “0.925” or “ster”. If you don’t see such a mark, you might want to reconsider the purchase. This is usually an indication that the piece is fake.
The metals in jewelry can tarnish if exposed to humid air, so you will want to store them in a way that protects them. Keep your jewelry in a drawstring bag or in a box that is made for jewelry. Precious, as well as non-precious metals, will tarnish if they are exposed to humidity and air over time. While precious metals can be polished back to their original luster, non-precious metals are only coated in which case polishing causes the copper metal underneath to show through.
Keep your jewelery in a space that is dry and doesn’t have any air flow. Store jewelry in a sealed box or drawstring pouch for the best protection. Being submitted to extreme humidity and temperature can cause your pieces to tarnish. You can restore the precious metals back to their former glory, but plated jewelry is different. Trying to polish those pieces can reveal the non-precious metals underneath, such as copper.
Ask about insurance from your jeweler before purchasing a new piece. These policies dictate whether or not the jeweler will replace or fix your item of jewelry if it is damaged. You can even find insurance on jewelry pieces that were stolen or misplaced.
Ask about a jeweler’s insurance policy before buying anything. If something happens to your piece, you’ll know you can take it to the jeweler you bought it from, who will repair it or replace the piece. There are jewelers who offer insurance for misplaced or lost jewelry, too.
As previously discussed, jewelry can be an ideal gift for more than one occasion. Even a small jewelry item can have great meaning to the recipient. Of course, knowing certain things also helps you maintain your own jewelry. No matter who is receiving it and what you are doing with it, you can get more out of jewelry by following this article’s advice.
